"The vice president and the others are planning to have Korean BBQ later."
"They'd probably love to invite you," Kisaki said, eyeing his boss with a mischievous glint.
"I can't be the only one to suffer. Plus, Makki Hojou, that rich kid, probably won't mind a BBQ."
"Korean BBQ!" Mitsuha's eyes lit up, and she let out a soft exclamation.
"Yeah."
Kisaki was a bit puzzled at his boss's reaction.
Was Korean BBQ really that exciting?
After all, Kyousuke had been eating Italian dinners every night recently.
"I'm going, I'm going!" Mitsuha practically jumped at the idea.
Her mind raced with images of sizzling meat and the delicious-looking kimchi she'd seen in food magazines and videos.
She swallowed hard, eager for a taste.
Korean BBQ wasn't that different from Japanese BBQ, the main difference being the heating method.
Japanese BBQ used an open flame, while Korean BBQ relied on a more subtle heat.
The meat preparation and sauces were also more refined in Japanese BBQ.
But in Itomori, there wasn't even a decent BBQ restaurant, let alone a place serving Korean BBQ!
"If you're hungry, should I tell them to wrap up the club activities early?" Kisaki asked, interpreting his boss's reaction as a sign of hunger.
"Yeah, sure."
Just as Kyousuke had said, Kisaki really was a reliable friend.
And Makki Hojou was pretty great too, inviting me to BBQ.
What a nice guy!
The club president gave the signal, and aside from a few people staying behind to practice for competitions, everyone else quickly dispersed.
The Korean BBQ place wasn't far from the school, so the group walked over together.
"It's so expensive!" Mitsuha clicked her tongue inwardly.
A single dish on the menu could cost her an entire month's living expenses.
"Hojou, hurry up. Or are you too used to your family's Wagyu beef to care about this meat?" Makki Hojou teased, watching his boss stare at the menu without moving.
"Wagyu beef?" Mitsuha asked, confused.
"Yeah, it's really good! You brought some for the kendo team before, remember?"
"You said your mom sent it from your family's place in Hokkaido," Eikichi Onizuka added, sitting at the same table as Danma Ryuji, Makki Hojou, and Kyousuke.
Kanahara Takao had stayed behind to practice with the kendo team, while the rest of the group sat at another table.
"Oh, that Wagyu! We've still got some left at home."
"I'll give you guys some next time if you want," Mitsuha recalled, remembering the memo on Kyousuke's phone where he'd said she could cook the beef if she got hungry.
"But don't you have to go to the 'Garden of Words' tonight?" Makki Hojou asked, referring to the place Kyousuke's mom had insisted he visit for dinner every night.
"'Garden of Words'?" Mitsuha asked again.
"Yeah, didn't you go there last night? It's that Italian restaurant in Shinjuku."
Mitsuha quickly checked her phone, and sure enough, there was an unread message.
The profile picture was of a beautiful woman with brown hair.
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"Hojou-kun, aren't you coming to dinner tonight?"
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Mitsuha's instinct was to apologize, but then she remembered that Kyousuke had written in red text not to reply to messages for him.
Fine, I won't reply. I'll make him apologize tomorrow.
She pocketed her phone and looked back at the menu, then glanced up at Makki Hojou and asked, "Can I order anything from this menu?"
She needed confirmation—otherwise, she might end up emptying Kyousuke's wallet just for dinner.
"Of course, I heard from Kisaki that you're a big eater. Order as much as you want," Makki Hojou assured her.
"Then I'll be polite and not hold back!" Mitsuha rolled up her shirt sleeves and got ready to dig in.
The sight startled even the usually composed Makki Hojou.
The grill lit up, the plates heated, and the exhaust fans began to work.
The first things to arrive were small appetizers, like boiled cauliflower.
Even though she had these kinds of dishes every day in Itomori, this was cauliflower from a Korean BBQ restaurant in Tokyo!
Excited, Mitsuha dipped a piece in the sauce and took a bite.
It wasn't too soft or too hard—just right. Well, it was just ordinary cauliflower, and honestly, she thought the cauliflower from her neighbor's garden back home was even tastier.
Next came the cold noodles.
Mitsuha had high hopes for them.
When the lid was removed, she was not disappointed—creamy, white broth, thin, pale purple noodles topped with shredded meat, cucumber slices, and half a soft-boiled egg.
She clasped her hands in front of her, holding the chopsticks with her thumb and index finger, and bowed slightly toward the noodles as if offering a prayer.
Then, she carefully picked up the egg and took a bite.
The runny yolk oozed out, and she devoured the rest of the egg in one go.
She mixed the noodles lightly, then picked up a bite of noodles with cucumber and brought them to her mouth.
The cool sensation of the noodles, combined with the rich, slightly tangy broth, was refreshing and appetizing.
'Delicious!'
Mitsuha had to admit she'd been wrong about calling Kyousuke a glutton.
If she were in his shoes, one bowl of these noodles would've been enough to fill her up.
But now, after finishing three bites of noodles, she was still excited for the BBQ to come.
Finally, the waiter brought the meat on a small cart.
Mitsuha eagerly grabbed a thick slice of marbled pork belly and carefully placed it on the grill.
The edges of the pork began to turn golden, curling up as the fat dripped down, sending up a cloud of smoke that was quickly sucked away.
Mitsuha inhaled deeply, savoring the scent.
"Hojou, do you want your meat cut smaller?" Makki Hojou asked from across the table.
Mitsuha reflexively thought about asking for it smaller, since girls usually cut their food into smaller pieces to avoid looking rude.
But then she remembered—she was a guy now!
"No need!" Mitsuha said firmly and flipped the pork with the tongs.
As the pork turned golden and crispy, a wave of hunger hit her.
She prepared a perilla leaf in her left hand.
Finally, the pork was ready. Mitsuha picked it up with her chopsticks, as if performing a ritual, and placed it on the perilla leaf.
She spooned some dipping sauce over it, topped it with kimchi, and put it in her mouth.
Mmm~ Eating with big bites is so satisfying.
Mitsuha hummed contentedly as she chewed.
The slightly rough perilla leaf complemented the rich, oily flavor of the grilled pork perfectly.
The kimchi added a refreshing crunch, balancing the flavors and making the meal even more enjoyable.
"Do you want some beef tongue?" Makki Hojou asked.
Although Kyousuke was his boss, Makki Hojou often felt like he should take extra care of him.
Especially since he was the one who had pushed Kyousuke into the position of the group leader.
"Yes!" Mitsuha nodded eagerly.
She raised her bowl, allowing him to place the beef tongue directly on top of the rice, then scooped up a big bite of rice with the beef tongue and stuffed it into her mouth.
'Bliss.'
The BBQ lasted until it was dark outside.
Mitsuha turned down the offer from her underlings to have them escort her home and instead took the subway alone.
While others might start feeling lonely or down riding the subway alone at this hour.
Mitsuha, who had grown up in Itomori where there were only two trains a day, felt nothing but curiosity as she sat on the subway, watching the city come to life around her.
As she gazed out the window, the night deepened, and the lights of Tokyo shone bright.
Next time, she promised herself, she'd go out and explore more.
Yawning, she thought happily to herself.
Back at her place, she had planned to take a look at Kyousuke's home, but sleepiness overtook her.
She collapsed onto her bed without even changing clothes.
Summoning all her willpower, she opened her phone and quickly typed a few words into her memo before drifting off to sleep.
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